The manufacturing industry is focusing plenty of attention on millennials as companies try and entice them to consider manufacturing careers. These companies might be better off looking at other industries, where workers might be looking for a career change.

Andersen Industries is experienced with working with large fabrications, such as custom trailers, and eventually sought a method to make it easier to help welders move equipment and accompanying lines. The result was a boom designed specifically for welding.

A rising dollar could make it tougher for U.S. manufacturers to export goods, but the metal fabricating community shouldn't suffer too much. Overseas customers buy metal goods from U.S. manufacturers for a very good reason.

As educators push for their students toward a college-prep curriculum, students are missing out on possible vocational training opportunities and the manufacturing industry is missing out on young talent.

Even in the face of falling oil prices and the potential slowdown of offshore fabrication work, Bill New, president of New Industries Inc., Morgan City, La., still looks forward to coming to work each day.

Waukesha Metal Products, a metal fabricator and metal former based in Sussex, Wis., wasn't going to survive in the long run being a simple stamper of simple metal parts. It needed to reinvent itself and constantly look for ways to evolve if it were to grow and improve its chances of success in the face of more demanding customers. Its in-house knowledge and talent, investment in capacity, and contributions to the overall manufacturing cause are improving its long-term viability. They also have helped the company earn the 2015 Industry Award from The FABRICATOR.

As metal fabricators look to increase throughput in their bending departments while also facing a dearth of seasoned press brake operators, they may find their answer in the form of automated tooling change technology now found on the latest generation of brakes.

Great Lakes Shipyard, Cleveland, added a plasma cutting machine to its fabricating operations, which helps it to make more of its own parts without relying on subcontractors that don't always meet delivery dates.

Metal fabricators are better at manufacturing than holding meetings, but some sort of regularly occurring production meeting is needed to get everyone on the same page. Several fabricators offer their opinions as to what works best for them in their production powwow.

In today's manufacturing world where more is done with less, many metal fabricators don't see the need for a daily production meeting. It's one more example of manufacturers adjusting to the times because of lack of time.

New bending, welding, and laser technology on display at the world’s largest metal fabricating and forming tradeshow helps manufacturers in their pursuit of achieving higher levels of production efficiency.

It's not unusual for a metal fabricating worker to leave one company and go to work for another for a small increase in pay. This, however, may not be in the best interest of the worker, and it sure hurts the company that loses quality talent.

Outsourcing helps to keep shop floors busy all over the world, but the philosophy also might be feasible for some front-office activities, too, such as human resources. In fact, given the constant changes associated with employment law and the challenges of hiring workers, companies need good HR input, and outsourcing is a quick way to achieve that.

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The Fabricator®

North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry, delivering news, technical articles, and case histories. Print subscriptions are free to qualified persons in North America involved in metal forming and fabricating.